Mining Permit Fees / Charges in Kenya

A mining permit authorises smaller-scale mineral extraction, sitting below a full mining licence in both scope and cost. It suits operators working smaller deposits or shorter-term extraction projects.

Fee Summary Table

Item	Fee / Charge
Application fee	Ksh. 7,000
Annual ground rent	Ksh. 50,000
Transfer fee	Ksh. 100,000
Mineral Development Levy	1% of gross sale value (0.5% for salt and cement)

Source: The Mining (Licence and Permit) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (Legal Notice 43 of 2024).

What You Need

Application detailing the mining area, method, and mineral targeted
Basic environmental compliance documentation appropriate to the scale of operation
Site restoration commitments
Company or individual registration documents

Annual Rent Jumped Sharply

Note that while the mining permit's application fee (Ksh. 7,000) is identical to the prospecting permit's, its annual ground rent (Ksh. 50,000) is considerably higher — and significantly above the prospecting permit's Ksh. 20,000. Factor this recurring cost into your operating budget from year one, not just the headline application fee. A mining permit is a relatively low-cost way to formalise smaller mining operations, but remember the Mineral Development Levy still applies to whatever you extract and sell — there's no production-scale exemption just because the permit itself is cheap to obtain.

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